Barrel Cleaning ?????

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Caveman

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I have heard so many varied and sometimes conflicting recommendations on barrel cleaning.
Is it better to use pull throughs or felt cleaning pellets ?
Further to this, how often is best ?
Some say after every tin (500 pellets) and others more frequently !
Is it a good to clean out the "leading" from your barrel ?
Is the "debris" being cleaned out from dirty pellets alone ?
Or could the answer be as simple as
"IT AINT BROKE, DONT FIX IT" ?
Please forgive me for asking what may be conceived as a daft question by some.

Many thanks for any advice
 
Same as oldfart said. I have owned some that need cleaning and some that don't. One was EV2 MK2 needed cleaning every 100 shots with Napier pull through. The EV2 mk 3 I had didn't need cleaning, just spot on all the time. My S400s don't need cleaning neither does my HW100.
 
When I was starting my journey, I pored over the forum for advice on this topic, and the only consensus I could really find is:

  • Clean the thick factory molasses off really aggressively with cleaner and pull-through
  • The Napier cleaning kit is the second coming of Christ
On the "If it ain't broke" front - this seems to be a point of contention, but given that the much maligned subject of pellet testing is like reading knuckle bones, you're unlikely to even be able to conduct a scientific test to find out which gives the best results.

One more scholarly reference I can give you is in the book "Air Pistol: The Olympic Discipline" Heinz Reinkemeier, p199-200. there are some examination of how cleaning impacts on grouping:
1770418027317.webp


The general theory in the book is that the most important aspect of shooting for tight groups is consistency, and as lead deposits on the rifling between shots, it changes that barrel in chaotic and unpredictable ways - so the only way to truly keep consistent perfomance is to have a consistently clean barrel. Heinz actually talks about the cleaning "ritual" being necessary to perform after every training session. The atheletes shown will just use clean, dry cleaning mops - only using the heavy solvents when a gun is exceptionally soiled, as they seem to have some detrimental effect on accuracy for "10 to 40" shots.

Considering I am not an olympic athlete, and my guns are not finely tuned, high-maintenance tools, I doubt I would see an effect on this magnitude, for every error I save in cleaning, I will put back in my lack of skill! But I guess if you're shooting in any competition, the deviation shown above would easily move one's ability to score an X or +1 from an act of skill and preparation, to one of luck - and whether or not that is acceptable is up to you!

Hope that's at least food for thought :)
(also, this book is really cracking, I was wondering if it would be worth the money, but I feel like I've learned so much!)
 
Oldfart said:
I would clean it from new or when it starts to lose accuracy. Otherwise leave it be.
Use a pull through kit.
But as with all things someone will be along in a min to disagree with me.
Click to expand...
Thank you 👍👍👍
 
Bazzatron said:
When I was starting my journey, I pored over the forum for advice on this topic, and the only consensus I could really find is:

  • Clean the thick factory molasses off really aggressively with cleaner and pull-through
  • The Napier cleaning kit is the second coming of Christ
On the "If it ain't broke" front - this seems to be a point of contention, but given that the much maligned subject of pellet testing is like reading knuckle bones, you're unlikely to even be able to conduct a scientific test to find out which gives the best results.

One more scholarly reference I can give you is in the book "Air Pistol: The Olympic Discipline" Heinz Reinkemeier, p199-200. there are some examination of how cleaning impacts on grouping:
View attachment 897138

The general theory in the book is that the most important aspect of shooting for tight groups is consistency, and as lead deposits on the rifling between shots, it changes that barrel in chaotic and unpredictable ways - so the only way to truly keep consistent perfomance is to have a consistently clean barrel. Heinz actually talks about the cleaning "ritual" being necessary to perform after every training session. The atheletes shown will just use clean, dry cleaning mops - only using the heavy solvents when a gun is exceptionally soiled, as they seem to have some detrimental effect on accuracy for "10 to 40" shots.

Considering I am not an olympic athlete, and my guns are not finely tuned, high-maintenance tools, I doubt I would see an effect on this magnitude, for every error I save in cleaning, I will put back in my lack of skill! But I guess if you're shooting in any competition, the deviation shown above would easily move one's ability to score an X or +1 from an act of skill and preparation, to one of luck - and whether or not that is acceptable is up to you!

Hope that's at least food for thought :)
(also, this book is really cracking, I was wondering if it would be worth the money, but I feel like I've learned so much!)
Click to expand...
Thank you so very much. You have put a lot of the great mystery into perspective. 👍👍👍
 
We are all different, but I don't wait until the accuracy drops off. Mine get cleaned after every session at the club.
Use a pull-through. . Felt pellets are not efficient enough to get the job done.

The bottom line is: They shoot more accurately with a clean barrel.
 
Wing Commander said:
We are all different, but I don't wait until the accuracy drops off. Mine get cleaned after every session at the club.
Use a pull-through. . Felt pellets are not efficient enough to get the job done.

The bottom line is: They shoot more accurately with a clean barrel.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice Wing Commander. 👍
 
Obviously it depends on the frequency of a gun's use on how often you need to clean the barrel but when it's time, it's time.

I personally find the Napier pull through set works well with all my pistols and rifles in both .177 & .22 calibres.



IMG_2259.webp


IMG_2258.webp
 
Tony Hancock said:
Obviously it depends on the frequency of a gun's use on how often you need to clean the barrel but when it's time, it's time.

I personally find the Napier pull through set works well with all my pistols and rifles in both .177 & .22 calibres.



View attachment 897659

View attachment 897660
Click to expand...
Tony Hancock said:
Obviously it depends on the frequency of a gun's use on how often you need to clean the barrel but when it's time, it's time.

I personally find the Napier pull through set works well with all my pistols and rifles in both .177 & .22 calibres.



View attachment 897659

View attachment 897660
Click to expand...
Thank you Tony.
Have found a similar item on amazon.
Just ordered and hope to have by Tuesday. 👍👍👍👍👍
 
It all comes down to the guns barrel. Some barrels require more cleaning than others. My Brocock hasn't had a clean since I bought it new 3 years ago. I always do an initial pull through and cleaning when I first purchase a gun. If the accuracy is still there, I don't bother cleaning. Once I get regular flyers, then it's time for a major cleaning.
 
I’ve never cleaned a barrel and don’t know anyone that has. Although longest I ever owned 1 gun can’t be more than 5 years. I was always taught that it’ll do more harm than good? Don’t know if the thought has changed in the last 20 years though..
 
Caveman said:
Thank you so very much. You have put a lot of the great mystery into perspective. 👍👍👍
Click to expand...
I'm sure its not conclusive, just some of the research I've done during my relatively short time in the hobby! Ask me again in a couple of years 😅
 
I clean any barrel new to me with a pull through, wanting a clean 'patch'.
I do every tin of pellets give it another simple pull through, but recognise these are not powder burning rifles.
It is not a bad thing to do.
 
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